Resilient outlet connectors for plumbing fixtures and tanks



y 4, 1936 K. A. KLINGLER 2,756,078 RESILIENT OUTLET CONNECTORS FOR PLUMBING FIXTURES AND TANKS Filed Sept. 26, 1952 7 W INVENTOR.

United States Patent RESILIENT OUTLET CONNECTORS FOR PLUlVIB- ING FIXTURES AND TANKS Karl A. Klingler, Naperville, Ill.

Application September 26, 1952, Serial No. 311,565

Claims. (Cl. 285-494) The improved outlet connector comprising the present invention is primarily adapted for use in connection with plumbing fixtures such as bath tubs, kitchen sinks, lavoratories and the like, of the type which are formed of light sheet steel covered with multiple coatings of vitreous enamel. The steel body of such fixtures are frequently warped and the enamel coating may have undulating surfaces which make it difficult to obtain a tightly sealed joint between the marginal portions of an outlet opening of the fixture and a conventional metallic outlet conduit secured in such outlet opening. The invention is however capable of other uses and the same may, if desired, be employed in connection with heavier cast iron enamel coated plumbing structures as well as with industrial or household tanks such as washing machine tubs and other receptacles of a varied nature Whether the same be enameled or otherwise.

One of the principal objects of the present invention is to provide an improved outlet connector for receptacles of the type outlined above which will securely clamp irregular or undulating surfaces adjacent an outlet opening and which will be easily installed without danger of chipping the enameled surfaces of the receptacle to which it is applied.

A somewhat more specific object of the invention is to provide a connector for plumbing fixtures and the like which is in the form of a flexible or semi-flexible conduit section having a novel form of attachment end for the fixture outlet opening and which end cooperates with the rim and surrounding wall of the outlet in such a manner as to provide an effective seal against egress of liquid from the outlet around the conduit section regardless of slight discrepancies in alignment of the conduit axis with the outlet opening.

A further object of the invention is to provide a connector of the type briefly outlined above in which the installation to the outlet opening of the fixture is easily made yet which is a permanent one.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a connector of this character which may be applied to or removed from the fixture outlet opening by manipulation of a single attachment and locking element without requiring the use of tools or other leverage-applying members and which does not require special forms of flanged constructions at the outlet opening for cooperative action with the connector.

The provision of a connector which is comprised of a minimum number of moving assembly parts and which is therefore unlikely to get out of order; one which is rugged and durable; one which may be manufactured at a low cost; one which requires no sealing gasket or sealing compound for its effective installation, and one which otherwise is well adapted to perform the services required of it, are further desirable features that have been borne in mind in the production and development of the present invention.

In the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification, a preferred embodiment of the invention ice has been shown for exemplary purposes as applied to a washing machine tub.

In these drawings:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary sectional view taken substantially centrally and longitudinally through a connector constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention showing the same operatively applied to the drain opening of a washing machine tub;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view similar to Fig. 1 showing the manner in which the connector is installed within the drain opening;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the assembled connector in position within the drain opening with the surrounding wall of the latter being shown in section; and

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 5--5 of Fig. 3.

In all of the above described views, similar characters of reference are employed to designate similar parts throughout.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, a fragment of a washing machine tub in the vicinity of the drain outlet thereof is designated at 10 and the drain or outlet opening is shown at 11 as being preferably, though not necessarily, provided with the usual drain sump 12 associated with such washing machine tubs. The improved connector of the present invention involves in its general organization a conduit section which may be of L-design and which is formed of a resilient or semi-resilient material such as rubber or other moldable material. The connector in the form shown includes a horizontal portion 13 and a vertical portion 14 provided with an inte' gral sealing head designated in its entirety at 15.

The sealing head 15 includes an upper generally later: ally extending flange 16 of annular configuration adapted to overlie the bottom wall of the sump 12 and having a generally convex upper surface 17 and an underneath surface 18 provided with a series of concentric circular grooves 19 therein, of which two have been illustrated. Below the flange 16 and depending from the inner regions thereof is an annular flexible flange or lip 20 of outwardly tapered design adapted to extend through the outlet opening 11 and to underlie the sump wall.

Below the flange 16 and lip 20 and spaced downwardly therefrom a slight distance are a series of outwardly pro jecting ribs or lugs 22 which are formed on the vertical portion 14 of the conduit and which are preferably equally spaced around the latter. While any suitable number of such lugs may be provided, six have been shown for illustrative purposes and are adequate to serve their intended function.

The ribs or lugs 22 are of moderate height and of short radial extent and the lower region of each rib is tapered or bevelled as at 23 into the cylindrical surface of the conduit portion 14. The upper face 24 of each rib (Figs. 2, 3 and 4) is horizontal in a radial direction but is inclined in a circumferential direction and provides a cam surface designed for camming engagement with mating cam surfaces provided on a locking ring the nature of which will soon be made clear.

The previously mentioned locking ring is designated at 25 and is in the form of a metal member of annular configuration having a series of radially inwardly projecting lugs 26 on its. inner periphery corresponding in number to the number of lugs 22 provided on the conduit wall 14. The lower faces 27 of the lugs 26 are inclinedon the conduit wall 14 in a manner that will be mad clear presently.

The upper surface area of the locking ring 25 is tapered as at 28 (Figs. 1 and 3) and this surface of the ring is designed to enter the annular recess provided between the outer wall of the conduit portion 14 and the depending lip when the locking ring is in its home position on the resilient connector member.

In the installation of the improved connector the conduit portions 13 and 14 are introduced through the outlet opening 11 from inside the tub structure It) and the flange 16 is caused to seat upon the upper face portion of the sump wall 12 as shown in Fig. 3. The flexible lip 20 is caused to project through the outlet opening 11 and to assume the position shown in this view. The locking ring is then telescoped over the conduit portion of the connector and forced over the lugs22, the walls of the semiflexible tubs being collapsed inwardly to prevent the ring to pass over the lugs 22. Preferably the lugs 26 on the ring 25 are arranged in alignment with the interstices between the lugs 22 of the connector body. The ring is then moved bodily upwardly past the lugs 22 to its home position so that the upper tapered surface of the ring enters the annular space surrounding the inner face of the flexible lip 20. The lip 20 is thus spread outwardly, so to speak, and is forced into sealing contact with the rim of the outlet opening 11. The pressure exerted by the ring 25 through the lip 20 on the portion 12 of the tank draws the head portion 15 of the connector downwardly from the position shown in Fig. 3 to the sealing contact with the tank. The resilience of the tube and the pressure of the ring lugs 26 on the cam surfaces of the lugs 22 retains the connector head 15 in said sealing engagement. The inclined faces 23 of the lugs 22 will facilitate movement of the ring past the lugs. As soon as the locking ring 25 clears the lugs 22, the lugs will snap into position beneath the ring and thereafter the ring may be turned in a counter-clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 2, i. e. in the usual direction of turning ordinary threaded parts, and the lower inclined cam surfaces 27 of the lugs 26 will ride upwardly on the inclined cam surfaces 24 of the lugs 22 and force the tapered portion 28 of the locking ring into the annular recess behind the flexible lip 20 to further spread the latter into sealing engagement with the outlet or sump opening 11.

In some situations it may be desirable to provide a strainer. In such instances an inverted dished-shaped strainer may be loosely fitted over the head 15 of the connector. The marginal flange 31 of the strainer is formed with an upturned edge, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 4, to facilitate application and removal of the strainer to its applied position over the perimeter 29 of the head 15. The strainer 30, as herein illustrated, is a pressed metal element of inverted dish-configuration provided with a series of apertures to permit the water to pass through the strainer through the discharge outlet.

While the invention is illustrated herein in connection with a preferred embodiment, it should be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the specific disclosure made except insofar as the claims may be expressly limited.

I claim:

1. In combination with a receptacle having a wall providing a flat inner face formed with an outlet opening therein, a connector for attachment to said receptacle outlet opening comprising a conduit section formed of flexible resilient material insertable through said outlet opening and having an enlarged head portion providing a generally radially extending annular flange located within said receptacle and adapted to seat upon said flat inner face of the receptacle wall surrounding the opening, a flexible annular lip formed integrally with the head portion and surrounding the conduit section and extending from the inner regions of the flange in a generally axial direction in spaced relation to the outer wall of the conduit section and adapted to be projected through the outlet opening in close relation to the rim of the opening,

a locking ring separate from the conduit section adapted to be slidably received over the latter, said locking ring having an upper rim portion adapted when the ring is in its home position to enter the space between the outer surface of the conduit section and the flexible lip and engage the lip to force it radially outwardly and expand the same against the rim of the outlet opening, and cooperating means on said conduit section and locking ring for maintaining the ring in its home position and for drawing said enlarged head portion tightly against said flat inner face of the receptacle.

2. In combination with a receptacle having a wall providing a flat inner face formed with an outlet opening therein, a connector for attachment to said receptacle outlet opening comprising a conduit section formed of flexible resilient material insertable through said outlet opening and having an enlarged head portion providing a generally radially extending annular flange located within said receptacle and adapted to seat upon said flat inner face of the receptacle wall surrounding the opening and in a plane perpendicular to the center of the opening, a flexible annular lip formed integrally with the head portion and surrounding the conduit section and extending from the inner regions of the flange in a generally axial direction in spaced relation to the outer wall of the conduit section and adapted to be projected through the outlet opening in close relation to the rim of the opening, a locking ring separate from the conduit section and adapted to be slidably received over the latter, said locking ring having a rim portion adapted when the ring is in its home position to enter the space between the outer surface of the conduit section and the flexible lip and engage the latter to force it radially outwardly and expand the same against the rim of the opening, and cooperating cam lugs on said conduit section and locking ring for forcing the latter toward its home position when the locking ring is turned circumferentially in one direction relative to the conduit section.

3. In combination with a receptacle having a wall providing a flat inner face formed with an outlet opening therein, a connector for attachment to said receptacle outlet opening comprising a conduit section formed of flexible resilient material insertable through said outlet opening and having an enlarged head portion providing a generally radially extending annular flange adapted to seat upon said flat inner face of the receptacle wall surrounding the opening, a flexible annular lip surrounding the conduit section and extending from the inner regions of the flange in a generally axial direction in spaced relation to the outer surface of said conduit section and adapted to be projected through the outlet opening in close relation to the rim of the opening, a rigid locking ring separate from the conduit section and adapted to be slidably received over the latter, said locking ring having a tapered rim portion adapted when the ring is in its home position to enterthe space between the outer surface of the conduit section and the flexible lip and engage the latter to force it radially outwardly and expand the same against the rim of the opening; a series of circumferentially spaced lugs formed on said conduit section, and a series of cooperating lugs formed on said locking ring, the lugs on said conduit section and the lugs on said locking ring having mating surfaces thereon designed for camming engagement with one another to force the locking ring to its home position and draw said enlarged head portion tightly against said flat inner face when the locking ring is turned circumferentially in one direction relative to the conduit section.

4. In combination with a receptacle having a wall providing a flat inner face formed with an outlet opening therein, a connector for attachment to receptacle outlet opening comprising a conduit section formed of flexible resilient material insertable through said outlet opening and having an enlarged head portion providing a gen erally radially extending annular flange extending at an angle to the center and in co-planar engagement with the inner face of the receptacle wall and adapted to be flexed into flat seating engagement with said inner face surrounding the opening, a flexible annular lip surrounding the conduit section and extending from the inner regions of the flange in a generally axial direction in spaced relation to the outer Wall of the conduit section and adapted to be projected through the outlet opening in close relation to the rim of the opening, a rigid locking ring separate from the conduit section and adapted to be telescopically received over the latter, said locking ring having a rim portion adapted when the ring is in its home position to enter the space between the outer surface of the conduit section and the flexible lip and engage the latter to force it radially outwardly and expand the same against the rim of the opening, said locking ring having an internal diameter substantially equal to the external diameter of the conduit section in the vicinity of said head, and a series of spaced apart lugs formed on said conduit section exteriorly thereof and adapted to yield inwardly and constrict the conduit section in the vicinity of the lugs when the locking ring is moved in telscopic relation over said lugs, said lugs being adapted to snap into position behind said locking ring when the latter approaches its home position.

5. The combination structure set forth in claim 4, characterized by the provision of cooperating cam means on said lugs and on said locking ring for moving the latter fully to its home position after the lugs are in position behind the locking ring when the ring is turned in one direction circumferentially relative to the conduit section.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 235,475 Watkinson Dec. 14, 1880 377,776 Putnam Feb, 14, 1888 522,750 Brown July 10, 1894 1,272,714 Reinhalter July 16, 1918 2,310,877 Sperry Feb. 9, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS 200,610 Great Britain July 19, 1923 

